Means for applying matrix strips



Nov. 20,1951 LA VERNE B. EICHER 2,575,800

MEANS FOR APPLYING MATRIX STRIPS 7 Filed April 15, 1950 INVENTOR. ,LA VERNE B. EICHER ATTORNE] Patented Nov. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OF E 15 Claims.

This inventionrelates to the dental art and is particularly concerned with'means for clamping a matrix strip about a tooth undergoing dental treatment. Among the objects of this invention are the provision of a new and useful clamping means'adapted to secure the endsof a matrix strip about the. tooth, which means preferabl'y oomprisesa pair'of strip-engaging members, one havingmeans adapted to be. bent over and secured in locking relation with thefother member; the provision of a tool for applyingthe clampin means to thematrix strip and to provide cooperating means on, said tool and said clamping means for temporarily connecting said means to the jaws ofthe tool toiacilitate the application of said clamping means to the ends of ithe strip, and the locking of said clamping members to one another by the clamping action oflsaid tool; and the provision of means'responsive to the closing of the jaws of the apply- In the drawingsannexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. I is a perspective view showing a matrix strip clamp in which the principles ofthe present invention have been incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the twomembers making up the meansfor clamping the matrix strip about a tooth;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the members shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a clamp-applying tool especially constructed for use with the clamping members shown in' Figs. 2fand 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fi 4', showing the clamping members held in positionon'thejaws of'the tool shown in Fig.' 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged'end view of the jaws of Reference will now be made ingreater detail to. the annexed drawings for a more complete description of this invention. The matrix strip l, which is showninFig. 1 as being aroundea tooth, designated as T and. undergoing dental treatment, comprises a flexible band which. has its ends 2 and 3 firmly clamped together by a pair of members 4 and 5. Each of these members is, preferably, in the form .of a channel, the member 4 having a pair of flanges I. and. 8 and a central connecting web. 9. .The other clamping member 5 has a pair of flanges and-l2 and a central connecting web [3. At .eachend of the clamping member 5 is a, locking prong I5 which extends from the ends ,oi-t he member 5 toward the member 4. As best shownin Fig. 3, the flanges! and 8 of the member 4 are in outwardly converging planes, and the flanges H and 12 of the member. 5 are similarly formed. It will also be seen from Fig. 3 that the central web 9 of the member 4 is concavo-convex in cross.- seotion, while the central web I3 of the member 5 is substantially fiatso as tofacilitate the formation of locking prongs 15, although the central web 13 may also be concave-convex, if desired. The centralweb 9 of the member 4 is provided with a pair oiprojections ll andthe central web 93 of the member 5 is provided with three similar projections i8. These projections ensure the firm'engagementof theends of the matrix strip by the membersA and 5 when the latter are locked together.

A form' of toolfor clamping the members4 and 5 about the ends; and3 of the matrix strip and locking the members together isshown in Figs. 4'and 5f This tool 20 is in the nature of a pair of pliers and includes a pair of closable jaws 2| and 22. The jaw 2| has at its side recessed portions 24 and 25, as shown in Fig", 6.

These are formed by shaping the side walls 6f" the jaw 29 so as to cause them to lie in outwardly converging planes, conforming substantiallyto the angular disposition of the flanges 1 and 8 of the clamping member 4. Theend of thejawi l, outwardly from the angled side wall 25, is provided with an abutment or stop 26 which servesas a location means. when applying the clamping member 4 to the jaw 2!, as shown in Fig. 5. The jaw 22;is similarly formedgwith recessed portions28 and 29. Also, the outerend of the jaw .22 carries ail-abutment or,stop-- 3i qwnin Fig 4 an or n e -es s ewninj Fig. 8. 4 l

In the practice of the present invention, the matrix strip is first formed into a loop, as shown in Fig. 1, and placed in position over the tooth T. Next, the clamping members 4 and 5 are placed over the jaws 2I and 22, as shown in Fig. 5, and then, while holding the ends 2 and. 3 of the matrix strip taut, the tool 20 is manipulated to close the jaws 2I and 22 and clamp the ends of the matrix strip between the members 4 and 5. As the members 4 and 5 are brought together by the closing of the jaws 2| and 22, the locking prongs I5 are passed over the ends of the member 4 and turned over on the ends of the member 5, thereby locking the members 4 and 5 together, as shown in Fig. '7. A pair of curved recesses 34, formed on the inside face 35 of the jaw 2 I, serve as means for bending the locking prongs I5 into locking relation with the member 4. To facilitate the passage of the locking prongs I5 over the ends of the member 4, the ends may be recessed, as shown at 35 in Fig. 2.

' The inside face of the jaw 22 is flat, as shown at 38, and, during the final closing movements of the jaws against the members 4 and 5, the curved central web 9 of the member 4, and also the web I3 of the member 5, if the web I3 is curvedlike the web 9, are flattened, as will be' seen from Fig. 7, and the flattening of these central web portions causes the associated flanges to swing laterally away from each other, substanr tially into parallelism, thus releasing the jaws 2I and 22 from the members 4 and 5. This permits the ready withdrawal of the tool 20 from the zone of the tooth treatment but leaves the members 4 and 5 firmly and positively clamped to the ends of the matrix strip, and the matrix strip is held tightly about the tooth T.

It is of. course understood that the specific description of structure set forth above may be departed from without departing from the spirit of this invention as disclosed in this specification and as defined in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. Means for closing and locking a looped matrix strip about a tooth receiving dental treatment, comprising a tool having closable jaws and a pair of members adapted to receive the ends of a matrix strip therebetween and to be placed transversely of the ends of said strip, each of said members having resilient jaw-engaging means for releasably holding said members on said closable jaws to facilitate clamping the ends of said strip between said members, and means actuated by the closing of said jaws for locking said members to each other, said resilient means providing for the removal of said jaws from said members after the latter have been locked together.

2. Means for closing and locking a looped matrix strip about a tooth receiving dental treatment, comprising a tool having closable jaws, a pair of members adapted to receive the ends of. a matrix strip therebetween and to be placed transversely of the ends of said matrix strip, cooperating means on each of said members and each of said jaws for releasably engaging said members therewith so as to hold the latter on said jaws, whereby closing the latter serves to clamp the ends of said matrix strip between said members, and means for locking said members to each other when said jaws have closed said members about the ends of said matrix strip, said cooperating means on said members and said jaws comprise resilient flanges on each of said the associated jaw, whereby each strip-gripping member is temporarily fixed to the associated jaw.

3. Means for closing and locking a looped matrix strip about a tooth receiving dental treatment, comprising a tool having closable jaws, a pair of members adapted to receive the ends of a matrix strip therebetween and to be placed transversely of the ends of said matrix strip, cooperating means on each of said members and each of said jaws for releasably engaging said members therewith so as to hold the latter on said jaws, whereby closing the latter serves to clamp the ends of said matrix strip between said members, and means for locking said members to each other when said jaws have closed said members about the ends of said matrix strip, said cooperating means on said members and said jaws comprise resilient flanges on each of said members shaped to spring inwardly toward each other so as to yieldingly engage opposite sides of the associated jaw, whereby each stripgripping member is temporarily fixed to the associated jaw, said jaws having recessed portions adapted to receive said resilient flanges.

4. Means for closing and locking a looped matrix strip'about a tooth receiving dental treatment, comprising a tool having closable jaws, a pair of members adapted to receive the ends of .a' matrix strip therebetween and to be placed transversely of the ends of said'matrix strip, co-

operating means on each of said members and each of said jaws for releasably engaging said members therewith so as to hold the latter on said jaws, whereby closing the latter serves to clamp the ends of said matrix strip between said members, and means for locking said members to each other when said jaws have closed'said members about the ends of said matrix strip, said cooperating means on said members and said 4B" jaws comprise resilient flanges on each of said members shaped to spring inwardly toward each other so as to yieldingly engage opposite sides of the associated jaw, whereby each strip-gripping member is temporarily fixed to the associated jaw, said jaws having recessed portions'adapted to receive said resilient flanges, and abutment means on said jaws cooperating with the ends of 'said members for locating the latter on said jaws.

5. Means for closing and looking a looped matrix strip about a tooth receiving dental treatment, comprising a tool having closable jaws, a pair of members adapted to receive the'ends of a matrix strip therebetween and to be placed transversely of the ends of said matrix strip, cooperating means on each'of said members and each of said jaws for releasably engaging said members therewith so as to hold the latter on said jaws, whereby closing the latter serves to clamp the ends of said matrix strip between said members, and means for locking said members to each other when said jaws have closed said members about the ends of said matrix strip, said cooperating means on said members and said jaws comprise resilient flanges on each of said members shaped to spring inwardly toward each other so as to yieldingly engageopposite sides of the associated jaw, whereby each strip-gripping member is temporarily fixed to the associated jaw, each of saidjaws having a recessed portion on one of ,its faces adapted to receive the resilient flanges of the associated strip-gripping member, one side of each jaw having an abutment at opposite ends of one of the recessed portions.

6. Means for closing and looking a looped mat strip about agtqo h r ceivi g-neutertreat:,;

ment, comprising a tool having closable jaws, a pair of members adapted to receive the endsof a matrix strip therebetween and to be positioned transversely of the ends of said matrix strip, each of said members having a pair of flanges and a central web portion therebetween, the flanges on each member extending outwardly in converging relation and at least one of the web portions being of concavo-convex section with the outer face being concave, each jaw having sides lying in outwardly converging planes and spaced so as to be resiliently engaged by the flanges of the associated strip-gripping member, whereby the latter is releasably held in place thereon, one of said jaws having a flat face adapted to engage said concavoconvex section whereby, when the jaws are closed, said concave section is flattened and serves to swing the associated flanges away from the converging sides of the associated jaw, therebyfacilitating the detachment of said tool from said members, and means actuated by the closing of the jaws for locking said members together.

7. Means for closing and looking a looped matrix strip about a tooth receiving dental treatment, comprising a tool having closable jaws, a pair of members adapted to receive the ends of a matrix strip therebetween and to be positioned transversely of the ends of said matrix strip, each of said members having a pair of flanges and a central web portion therebetween, the flanges on each member extending outwardly in converging relation and the web portions of each member being of concave-convex section with the outer face being concave, whereby the ends of the matrix strip are engaged between the concave faces of said members, said jaws having substantially flat opposed faces and each jaw having sides lying in outwardly converging planes and spaced so as to be resiliently engaged by the flanges of the associated strip-gripping member, whereby the latter is releasably held in place thereon, a pair of bendable locking prongs on the ends of one of said members adapted to be projected over the ends of the other of said members when the jaws carrying said members are closed with the ends of said matrix strip between said memberaand curved portions on the jaw associated with said other member positioned so as to bend said locking prongs around the ends of said other member for locking said members together, the closing of said jaws causing the flat faces of the latter to flatten the concave-convex central web portions of said members and simultaneously therewith swing said flanges on the members out of engagement with the sides of said jaws, thereby automatically releasing the jaws from said members.

8. A dental matrix clamp device adapted to hold a matrix strip about a tooth receiving dental treatment, said device comprising a pair of members adapted to receive the ends of a matrix strip therebetween and to be positioned transversely of the ends of said matrix strip for clamping the latter between said members, one of said members having longitudinally extending flanges at opposite sides thereof, and means at the opposite ends of the other member, constructed and arranged to engage the end portions of the said one member and to be bent into the spaces between the fianges of said one member for holding said members clamped about the ends of said matrix strip.

9. A dental matrix clamp device adapted to hold a matrix strip about a tooth receiving dental treatment, said device comprising a pair of members adapted to receive the ends of a matrix strip therebetween and to be positioned transversely of the ends of said matrix strip for clamping the latter between said members, each of said members comprising a channel-like part having longitudinally extending flanges at opposite sides thereof, one of said members having locking prongs at the opposite ends adapted to be bent over on the ends of the other member between the flanges of the latter for holding said member clamped abofit the ends of said matrix strip.

10. A construction as defined by claim 9 in which one of said members has one or more projections in an outer face thereof in a position to engage a matrix strip positioned between said members.

11. A construction as defined by claim 9 in which one of said members has one or more projections on an outer face thereof in a position to engage a matrix strip located between said members, at one side thereof, and the other of said members has one or more projections on its outer face, the projections on said members being spaced apart in a longitudinal direction so as to engage difierent parts of said matrix strip when said members are locked together.

12. A dental tool for applying matrix strip clamps, comprising a pair of relatively movable jaws, each having a recessed portion extending longitudinally of the jaw adapted to receive the flanges of a cooperating matrix clamping member.

13. A dental tool as defined by claim 12 in which there is an abutment at the outer end of each of said jaws for locating the associated matrix clamping members.

14. A dental tool as defined by claim 12 in which the side portions of each of said jaws lie in outwardly converging planes so as to form flange-receiving portions.

15. A dental tool as defined by claim 12 in which one of said jaws has a pair of curved prong-bending recesses.

LA VERNE B. EICHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 352,410 Howell Nov. 9, 1886 983,844 Shannon Feb. 7, 1911 1,187,480 Angle June 20, 1916 2,430,853 Barger Nov. 118, 1947 

